Out of Place
by horseaholic
Summary: Pre Rent. Bridget Kincaid is a new girl from Wyoming, who transfers to Scarsdale High, and Roger takes a chance with her. How long can she hide her problems from him? Please review.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, check it out," eighteen-year-old Roger said, looking past Mark's shoulder, before they were supposed to go to first-period Junior-Senior Composition class that day.

Seventeen-year-old Mark looked up from putting his books in his backpack. "What?" he asked.

"It's that new girl from Wyoming that everyone's been talking so much about," Roger said.

Mark stood up and turned around. He saw Roger was looking at a girl with very long, brown hair. "Yeah, so, what about her?" he asked, looking back at Roger.

"Well, why don't you go talk to her?" Roger asked. "By the look on her face, she has no friends yet and is pretty lost. I mean, come on, go from the central United States to here? That's gotta be a shock. Leave it up to Mark Cohen, future famous filmmaker, to, you know, show her the ropes of Scarsdale High. It'd be good to have you talk to someone besides me, Benny, and Maureen."

"But why me, instead of you?" Mark asked. "She's a beautiful girl. She can get one of the jocks to show her around."

Roger's eyebrows rose. "The jocks?" he asked questioningly, looking at Mark. "What are you, crazy? We have to snag her up before they do, Mark; you, me, Maureen, Collins, and Benny; even though Collins is away at college. Why not take a chance, Mark? I know you can."

Mark mirrored the look Roger was giving him. "Fine, if you think it's so easy, you go talk to her. Besides, you know I'm with Maureen, Rog, and she'd freak if she saw me with another girl, friends or not."

"Fine, I will," Roger said, and much to Mark's surprise, he shouldered his backpack, stood up, and went over to the girl. Mark watched as Roger began to talk to her.

"Hi," he said, "I'm Roger Davis. I hear rumors you're the new girl around here."

The girl looked up at him. "Yeah, I guess I am," she said nervously. "Is it that obvious?"

"A little," Roger said, smiling at her. "What's your name?"

"Bridget," she answered. "Bridget Kincaid."

"It's nice to meet you, Bridget," Roger said, nodding at her. "Say, would you like me to show you around?"

"Sure, that would be nice," Bridget said, smiling at him. "Thanks, Roger."

Roger smiled. "No problem, Bridget. So what's your first class?"

"Choir," Bridget answered.

"Oh, yeah," Roger said, smacking his head for effect. "I forgot. I'm in first-period choir with you."

"Really?" Bridget asked. "What part do you sing?"

"First tenor," Roger said.

"Cool," Bridget said. "I'm a first alto."

Roger nodded. "Yeah, I heard Mr. Saunders testing your range the other day. You're really good."

Bridget smiled. "Thanks," she said.

"So what are you planning on doing after high school?"

"College somewhere, I'm not sure where yet; I want to sing on Broadway someday. And if I can't do that, at least I'll have a back-up office administration job or something. What about you?"

"I'm hoping to go to the West Coast and get a record deal," Roger said. "Santa Fe, New Mexico has good labels. That's my first target."

"That's cool," Bridget said. "So, Roger Davis, would you mind walking me to my first class?" She smiled at him. "I don't know where anything is around here yet."

Roger smiled. "Of course," he said, and after glancing at Mark one last time and giving him a victorious smile, he walked away with Bridget.

* * *

Later that morning, Roger waited for Bridget to come out of her Advanced Placement biology class. He fidgeted nervously as he stood around, waiting for her. She smiled when she came out and saw him there.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey yourself," he replied, smiling as she came over to him. "So how were all the icky dissections today?"

"Well, besides the Formaldehyde, I find it all fascinating," Bridget said, looking up at him. "Why, are you squeamish?"

Roger laughed. "Kind of," he admitted sheepishly. "I find all of that stuff creepy. What class do you have after lunch?"

"Um," Bridget said, and she checked her schedule, "it says Film Critique."

"Really?" Roger asked, surprised. "I bet my friend Mark is in that class with you."

Bridget shrugged. "So when do I get to meet all your friends?" she asked.

"Well, we usually hang out at Mark's house after school," Roger said, "so you're welcome to join us if you want. His mom's nice, but a bit of a control freak sometimes. Then you can meet the gang."

"OK," Bridget said, smiling at him.

"In the meantime," Roger said, "how about I take you out for lunch? We can go to Subway or something?"

"OK," Bridget said again, "I'd like that. Thanks, Roger."

"No problem," Roger said, smiling down at her, and he leaned down to kiss her.

"What was that for?" Bridget asked, when they'd parted. She looked up at him.

"I've wanted to do that for weeks," Roger admitted, looking down at her. "Is that OK?"

"Yes, it's OK," Bridget said, smiling at him. "You're my boyfriend now; you're supposed to do that."

"Oh, OK. I didn't realize there was a manual." Roger grinned evilly.

Bridget laughed. "You can do it again if you want."

"I can?"

"Yes."

Roger grinned and leaned down and kissed her again, more passionately this time.

"Davis," a sharp voice said from behind him.

Roger jumped and pulled away from Bridget. He turned around, his cheeks reddening up. "What do you want, Benny?" he asked, looking over at Benny and shooting daggers at him, angry that Benny had caught him off-guard like that.

"You haven't introduced me to this new girl of yours," he said, coming over to them. "Hi, I'm Benny Coffin."

"The unoriginal third," Roger said, grinning evilly at him.

Bridget laughed and smacked Roger playfully. "Roger, be nice. It's nice to meet you, Benny," she said, holding out her hand, which Benny shook. "Are you a senior, too?"

"Yep," Benny said. "We all are, except Mark; he's a junior. Our friend, Collins, is a sophomore in college at NYU. He hopes to teach there someday."

Bridget nodded. "Well, it was nice to meet you," she said, "but Roger and I were actually just about to go to lunch."

Benny nodded. "Well, cool," he said. "Cat and I were about to head out, anyway. It was nice to meet you, too, Bridget. See you two later."

Benny grinned evilly at Roger and then turned and left. Roger rolled his eyes.

"Sometimes I hate him," Roger said. "His parents are really rich, so he pretty much thinks he runs the school. Can't help but introduced himself to everyone. He was bound to get to you eventually."

"He doesn't act rich," Bridget said.

Roger looked at her. "Well, trust me, he is," he said, "and if his parents have their way, besides his inheritance, he's gonna marry rich, too. They aren't very happy with Cat."

"Is her full name Catherine?" Bridget asked, seeming interested, as they began to walk down the hall.

"Yeah, but we call her Cat because she has, like, a hundred of them," Roger said.

Bridget laughed. "I think that sounds neat," she said. "I can't wait to meet the rest of your friends. But for now, I can't wait for lunch."

"Oh, right," Roger said, suddenly remembering. "OK, let's go."

He put his arm around her waist and they walked out of Scarsdale High.

So I decided to try my hand at my first pre-Rent story. Please, no flames. I'll be putting up more chapters ASAP. In the next chapter, you'll learn more about Bridget, as she meets Maureen and gets to know Roger, Mark, and Benny better. Oh, and Collins is going to show up, too, LOL. Can't forget about him! As always, I love feedback.

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


	2. Chapter 2

"So this is the famous Bridget," Maureen said, getting up from her chair and going over to shake Bridget's hand. "I'm Maureen Johnson."

They were at the Cohen residence, just hanging out, as Roger had told Bridget they would. Bridget was meeting the Bohemians for the first time. And to her surprise, she wasn't nervous at all.

"Yep, that's me," Bridget said, smiling at Maureen. "It's nice to meet you, Maureen."

"This is Tom Collins," Maureen said, indicating to Collins. "And you already know Benny and Mark, I imagine?"

Bridget nodded. "Yeah, I do," she said. "It's nice to meet you, Collins."

"It's very nice to meet you, too, Bridget," Collins said, smiling warmly down at her. "So have you been in Scarsdale long?"

"Only a month or so," Bridget said. "My, uh, my mom moved us here. It's just me and her. Always has been."

Bridget suddenly looked uncomfortable. Roger saw this and decided to take control of the situation. "Bridget, why don't you sit down?" he asked. "Mark and I will go get you guys some drinks, OK? What do you want to drink, Bridget? I know what the rest of them want."

"Just water is OK with me," Bridget said, smiling at him, and she sat down on the couch. A few minutes later, Roger and Mark came back with the drinks. Roger sat down next to Bridget on the couch and put his arm around her.

"So tell us about yourself, Bridget," Maureen said.

"Um, well, I don't really know what to say," Bridget admitted. "I'm not really used to, um, you know, talking about myself."

"Well, first off, where did you come from?" Maureen asked. "It might make things easier to get that out of the way."

"I came from Wyoming," Bridget said. "My mom and my dad owned a ranch together down there. They, uh, recently divorced. My mom had to leave everything she owned down there; both of us did, for the most part, but we're hoping to settle that soon."

Maureen's normally-cheerful face fell. "Oh man," she said, "I'm sorry. Are you doing OK?"

"Yeah, I'm all right," Bridget said. "Believe me, it's better this way."

Maureen nodded. "Would it help to talk about it?" she asked, looking over at Bridget.

Bridget looked down, thinking. She didn't quite feel ready to tell them that about her yet. She had, after all, only known them for twenty-four hours so far. "Um, not yet," Bridget said, looking at Maureen. "But thanks."

Maureen smiled. "No problem, chica," she said. "So, um, down to the evil basics. What kind of music do you like?"

"I like oldies, metal, a bit of pop, and country," Bridget said. "Country's a majority for me, though. You can't live on a ranch and not like it, you know?"

Maureen nodded. "You know Roger's a metal-head, right?" she asked pointedly.

"Yeah, I know," Bridget said, looking up at Roger, who was giving Maureen a warning look. "It's OK, Roger. They're just getting to know me."

Roger nodded and Maureen went on. "What's your favorite color?" she asked.

"I like blue and green," Bridget said. "What about you?"

"Pink," Maureen said, smiling. "And Roger likes black and orange."

"Hey, they're Harley colors, what can I say?" Roger said, smirking. Bridget laughed, tossing her long brown hair. Roger closed his eyes for a second and inhaled the sweet scent of her hair. It sent chills down his spine.

"Hey, what do you guys say to going to the lake or something this weekend?" Maureen asked them.

"I think that sounds great," Roger said. "What do you think, Bridget? Would your mom let you come?"

"Um, I'm not sure, Roger," Bridget said, looking uncomfortable again. "But I'll be sure to ask her." She smiled up at him.

"OK, Baby, that's great," Roger said, kissing the top of her head. "You can just tell me in school."

Bridget nodded. "OK," she said, leaning against his chest.

* * *

"Hey, Mom?" Bridget asked, coming into her mom's study of their house, later that evening.

"Yeah, sweetie?" Mrs. Kincaid asked, looking up at her.

"I've met some new friends at school now," Bridget said, "and we need to go out to the lake to work on a project. It would be at least an overnight thing, possibly the whole weekend, but we'd be back by Sunday night. Is that OK?"

"Sure, sweetie, but be careful, OK?" Mrs. Kincaid asked, looking up at Bridget. "You know better than to drink and smoke, and all that stuff we talked about."

"Mom, I'll be 18 in three months," Bridget protested, looking down at her mother.

"I know, but until you are, you still have to abide by my rules, so long as you are living in my house, young lady," Mrs. Kincaid said. "And I want to meet this 'Roger' before you go, understand?"

"Of course you can meet Roger, Mom. Jeez, calm down. I won't disobey any of your set 'rules'," Bridget said, stung by her words. "You're starting to sound like Dad."

"Bridget—"

"But thank you for letting me go. I'm sure Roger and me and the others will have lots of fun. And I bet he'll look forward to meeting you."

Without waiting for her mother's reaction, Bridget turned around, her long brown hair flying, and she went up to her room.

* * *

"Hey, Roger!" Bridget called out, as she ran up to Roger that Thursday morning before school was due to start.

"Hey, Baby," Roger said, taking her into his arms as she came over to him. "So did your mom say if you could go tomorrow or not?"

"Yeah, she said I can go!" Bridget said happily, smiling at him. "She wants to meet you, though."

"OK," Roger said, nodding. He noticed that Bridget looked worried by this. "What's the matter, Baby? I'm sure your mom will be OK with me."

"I sure hope so, Roger," Bridget said. The warning bell rang and Bridget lifted her head off Roger's chest. "Oh man, do we really have to go to class?"

"Yeah, Baby, we do," Roger said. "But I'll tell you what. Meet me here at my locker after school, and I'll take you home, OK? Then I can meet your mom."

"That sounds brilliant, Roger," Bridget said, smiling at him. "So I'll see you after school, then?"

"You will," Roger said, leaning down to give her a quick kiss before they parted ways to go to class.

* * *

Bridget frowned nervously as they walked up the front steps of the Kincaid residence. Roger noticed her nervousness. "Hey, are you OK?" he asked, looking down at her.

"Yeah, I'm all right," Bridget said. "I'm just a little nervous about you meeting my mom."

"A little nervous?" Roger echoed, holding up her hands with his. "Baby, you're shaking in your shoes. Relax, OK? I'm sure your mom's fine."

Bridget looked into Roger's mesmerizing green eyes and took a deep breath. She was surprised by how just breathing nearby to him, she felt relaxed. "How do you do that?" she asked.

"How do I do what, Baby?" Roger asked, looking down at her and taking her into his arms.

"How do you make me feel so good, so easily?"

Roger shrugged. "I guess it's just what I do best," he said. "I protect those I love, especially the women in my life— even Mo." Bridget smiled. "Are you ready now?"

"Yes," she said, "I'm ready." Bridget knocked quickly on the door and they entered the house. "Mom, are you here?"

"In the den, Bridget," Mrs. Kincaid said. Bridget and Roger walked into the den and leaned against the doorframe, Roger's arms around Bridget's waist. Mrs. Kincaid turned around in her chair. "So this is Roger?"

"Yes, ma'am," Roger said, looking down at Mrs. Kincaid and holding out his hand, which she shook. "I'm a senior at Scarsdale High, like Bridget."

Mrs. Kincaid nodded and smiled. "So I hear you have to go with a few friends to the lake this weekend, to work on a school project?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

Bridget could have sworn she saw Roger freeze for a second. She squeezed his hand slowly, but firmly, and he caught on quickly. "Oh… yeah, yeah, we do," Roger said, looking at Mrs. Kincaid and hoping she couldn't tell that he was lying. "It's for our AP Biology class."

Mrs. Kincaid nodded, still seeming unconvinced. "Uh huh," she said. "Well, as long as you don't drink, smoke—"

"Do drugs or have sex," Bridget talked over her, her cheeks reddening, "then we can go. Yeah, Mom, I know, OK? Thank you for embarrassing me like that."

"It's OK, Bridget, I understand that your mom has rules we have to follow," Roger assured her, smiling at her. "What time on Sunday do you want Bridget back, Mrs. Kincaid?"

"10 P.M. and no later, Roger," Mrs. Kincaid said, looking at him.

"10 P.M., it is, Mrs. Kincaid," Roger said, smiling at her. "Well, Bridget, I have to be getting home. I'll see you tomorrow at school, OK?"

"OK, bye, Roger," Bridget said, smiling up at him, and he leaned down to kiss her. Then he smiled one last time at Mrs. Kincaid and turned to go back to his car.

"You really like Roger, don't you, Bridget?" Mrs. Kincaid asked, looking down at her daughter.

"Yeah, Mom, I do," Bridget said, smiling at her mother. "Roger would never hurt me. He's so sweet, Mom. You should see him at school. He's not afraid to show that he has feelings for me."

Mrs. Kincaid nodded. "I can see that," she said. "Well, just be careful this weekend, OK? I don't want you getting hurt."

"Don't worry, Mom, I won't," Bridget assured her, and she went inside with her mother. Bridget immediately went up to her room and called Roger. "Roger, what are we gonna do?" she asked him. "I lied to my mother about why I'm going to the lake. You know we have no school project. I don't mean to drag you into this, but..."

"Don't worry about it, Bridget," Roger said. "We won't disobey any of your mom's rules. It'll just be us camping and hanging out and swimming a lot. Do you trust me?"

"Yes, I trust you," Bridget said, biting her lip worriedly.

"Then you've got nothing to worry about. I'll take care of you, Bridget."

Bridget smiled. "Thanks, Roger. I'll see you tomorrow, OK?"

"OK, and then we're off to have the best weekend ever," Roger said, smiling as well. "Bye, Bridget."

"Bye, Roger," Bridget said, and they hung up respectively.

Next chapter will probably be up by the end of this weekend. No promises, though. I'm writing the chapters as quickly as I can come up with them. As always, don't forget to review!

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


	3. Chapter 3

"Mark, would you move over so Bridget can get in, please?" Roger asked him, as Bridget came running out with her duffle bag, sleeping bag, and pillow.

"All right, fine," Mark said, and he moved over reluctantly, so Bridget could have a place next to Roger in Benny's Range Rover.

"Hey, Baby," Roger said, getting out to help her put her things in the back of the Range Rover.

"Hi," Bridget said, smiling at him. "So are you guys ready to hit the beach?"

Mark, Maureen, Benny, and Collins nodded and smiled at her. Bridget put her stuff in the back of the Range Rover and then climbed in next to Roger.

"Yeah, definitely," Benny said, smiling at her.

"We're so going to get busted for this," Mark said worriedly. "You all know we have no biology projects that need working on to speak of."

"Oh, Pookie," Maureen admonished him, "stop worrying. No one will find us. Besides, if anyone asks, we can always say it was Benny's fault."

"Mine?" Benny exclaimed. "But it was your idea, Maureen!"

Maureen grinned and snuggled up next to Mark. "I know," she said, "but you're the one who's more likely to get blamed."

Benny rolled his eyes. 'Ugh," he said, "I can't believe I'm doing this. We _could _have used Roger's Firebird, and then I wouldn't have to be driving you guys."

"How did you get a Range Rover, anyway, Benny?" Bridget asked.

"It was my sixteenth birthday present," Benny replied, looking over at her before he began to drive off.

"See, I told you," Roger whispered to her, "he's rich."

"I heard that, jackass," Benny said, looking through his rear-view mirror at Roger.

Roger laughed. "Benny, you know I only mean the best for you," he said.

"Oh, shut up," Benny said. "Now you're starting to sound like my mother."

Roger grinned. Bridget noticed a blonde-haired girl sitting next to Benny, in the passenger seat. "Who's this, Benny?" she asked, indicating to the blonde.

"Bridget, this is Catherine, a.k.a. Cat," Benny said, and he turned onto the freeway. "Cat, this is Bridget, Roger's new girlfriend."

Cat smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Bridget," she said.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Cat," Bridget said, smiling back at her. They sat in silence for a while, and then Bridget decided she was uncomfortable with the silence and asked a question. "So what are we going to be doing, since Biology is out?"

"Oh, you know, swimming, bonfires, the whole works," Roger said, smiling down at her. "There's a dock and everything."

"That sounds like fun," Bridget said. "I used to go camping with my dad all the time."

Roger nodded. "Do you miss him?" he asked cautiously.

"No," Bridget said firmly, "not at all. But I don't really want to talk about it."

"OK, Baby," Roger said, kissing the top of her head, "it's your choice."

"Thanks for understanding, Roger," Bridget said, looking up at him.

"No problem, Baby," Roger said, and he leaned down to kiss her.

"Hey, no making out in my back seat," Benny said, looking at them again. Roger scowled and smacked him on the side of the head, making Cat laugh.

* * *

"Oh, shit," Roger said, frustrated, as the marshmallow he had been roasting was suddenly engulfed in flames and quickly began to burn.

"Roger!" Bridget exclaimed, laughing, and she rushed over to him as he blew out the flaming marshmallow. "What are you doing? Have you not yet mastered the art of marshmallow roasting?"

"Not exactly, Baby," Roger said. "Remember, I'm a small-town city boy."

Bridget laughed. "Well, here, give me another one and I'll show you how," she said.

"OK," Roger said, and he got another marshmallow. "All right, show me the money."

Bridget laughed. "OK, I will," she said. "See where there are hardly any flames and just coals?" Roger nodded and Bridget pointed the makeshift marshmallow roasting stick directly above the coals. "Well, you go like this and turn it slowly. That way, you'll roast all sides evenly, without a chance of burning it."

"OK, let me try," Roger said, but instead of letting her give him the stick, he wrapped his arms around her and closed his hands over hers. "Like this, right?" he asked, turning the stick slowly with her.

"Right," Bridget said, smiling at the feel of Roger's touch around her body. "Now you keep that up. I'm going to get another marshmallow."

But when Bridget tried to duck out from within Roger's grasp, she found he wouldn't let her go. She turned around in his arms and looked up at him. "What are you doing?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Oh, nothing," Roger said, smiling down at her, and he leaned down to kiss her. Bridget laughed after they parted.

* * *

A few hours later, they put the fire out, and everyone got ready for bed. Roger bade Bridget goodnight. "I'll see you in the morning, OK?" he asked, caressing her face.

"OK," Bridget said, smiling up at him, and he kissed her goodnight. She, Maureen, and Cat were sleeping in one tent, and Benny, Collins, Mark, and Roger were sleeping in the second tent. Bridget kissed him one last time and then she went in with Maureen and Cat. That night, it took her a long time to fall asleep. Thoughts of Roger were running through her head and wouldn't leave her alone. Finally, a couple hours later, after much tossing and turning and even Maureen snapping at her in frustration once, Bridget relaxed and fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Bridget felt like she'd barely lain down to sleep when she awoke with a start. Someone's hand was over her mouth. She looked around, startled, and saw Roger was kneeling awkwardly next to her sleeping bag. He put a finger to his lips, signaling to her to be quiet, and she nodded. A moment later, he let down his hand.

"What are you doing?" Bridget whispered nervously, looking up at him.

"Come with me," Roger whispered back.

Bridget frowned at him. "Roger, it's the middle of the night. Why?"

Roger shook his head. "No, it's not," he said quietly, "it's almost dawn. Come with me, I want to show you something."

Bridget looked at him suspiciously. "What?" she asked.

"I can't tell you, it's a surprise," Roger whispered. "Now come on, before you wake up Maureen and Cat. And if I wake Benny up at this hour, he'll be pissed."

Bridget frowned at him again, but obliged. "Oh, all right," she said. "Get out for a minute, will you? I'm going to get dressed." Roger nodded and climbed out of the tent, and she got out of her sleeping bag, quietly dressed, and came out of the tent. Roger took her hand and led her away. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll see," Roger said, glancing at her. He saw she was giving him a suspicious look again. "What?"

"Roger Davis, if this is you trying to—"

"I'm not trying to seduce you, Bridget Kincaid," Roger assured her, almost laughing. "I told your mom we'd stick to the rules, and I intend to. Any rule breaking will be entirely your fault." He flashed her one of his heart-melting grins.

Bridget rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said. "So where is this surprise?"

"Not far," Roger said. "It's only a five minute walk. Come on."

Bridget looked long and hard at him, suspicious again. "Well, OK," she said, and she took his hand and they left.

When they were getting close, Roger said, "OK, Bridget, close your eyes."

"Close my eyes?" Bridget asked, looking at him.

"Yes," Roger said, smiling. "Go on, close them."

Bridget sighed, but closed her eyes obediently. Roger took her hands in his and led her further away. "Roger, where are we going?" she asked nervously.

"It's OK, Bridget," Roger said soothingly. "Do you trust me?"

Bridget nodded and continued to let him lead her. "I trust you," she said.

"OK, just over here," Roger said.

Bridget's head turned nervously to each side, hearing wood beneath her feet. "Roger, where are we?" she asked.

"Sit down," he said, and Bridget sat down slowly with Roger's help. "OK, open your eyes."

Roger sat down next to Bridget as she opened her eyes. A moment later, she gasped and her hands flew up to her mouth. "Oh my God," she said in awe.

Bridget realized where Roger had led her. They were on the dock nearest to their campsite. Bridget and Roger were looking over the lake, just as the sun began to rise. It rose over the horizon, red and gold beams streaking over the sky.

"What do you think?" Roger asked, looking down at her.

"It's beautiful, Roger," Bridget said quietly. "Thank you for taking me here."

"You're welcome, Baby," Roger said, and he leaned down to kiss her. "So you like it?"

"Yeah, I love it," Bridget said, smiling at him. "Can we stay here for a while?"

"Sure, Baby," Roger said, smiling down at her, and he lay down on the dock. Bridget lay down next to him and they soon fell asleep together.

* * *

"Mark!" Maureen yelled, sitting bolt-upright as she awoke in the night and realized Bridget's sleeping bag was empty. She bolted out of her sleeping bag and out of the girls' tent.

"What? What is it? Maureen?" Mark asked feverishly, coming out of the boys' tent, hearing Maureen yelling.

"Bridget's gone," Maureen said, going over at him.

Mark sighed with relief. "Oh, jeez, Maureen," he said, "I thought something was really wrong."

"What are you talking about?" Maureen demanded. "Bridget's gone and you're saying nothing's wrong?"

"Maureen, relax," Mark said, pulling her close to him and rubbing her back. "Roger's not here, either. I bet they just went for a walk or something. It's OK."

"Oh, OK," Maureen said, looking down. "I'm sorry. It's just that I was worried Bridget had gone off and gotten herself lost or something, especially since she doesn't know her way around Scarsdale or anything."

"Now why would Bridget do that, when she's got us?" Mark asked Maureen reasonably.

Maureen nodded. "I know, you're right," she said. "It was stupid, worrying like that." Benny and Collins came out of the tent in their boxers, rubbing their eyes. Cat appeared as well.

"Maureen, what the hell is wrong with you, yelling like that in the middle of the night?" Benny asked irritably. Collins smacked him. "Hey!"

"Shut it," Collins admonished him.

"Maureen, sweetie, what is it?" Cat asked gently, coming over to the group.

"I was just worried that Bridget's gone," Maureen admitted sheepishly, feeling foolish, now that they were all standing around her and it had been silly in the first place.

"She's probably out somewhere with Roger," Benny said.

"Yeah, that's what Mark said," Maureen said. "I'm sorry I woke you guys up. That was stupid of me."

"Don't worry about it," Collins said. "We need to get up anyway, we're burning daylight. We can't waste precious hours sleeping when we've got daylight to use up. I mean, look at Bridget and Roger— they've been up since before we were, and it's risky to wake Roger up before Noon. I guess Bridget is cause for him to get up early, eh?"

Maureen smiled at him. "Thanks, Collins," she said. "So where do you think Bridget and Roger went?"

"No clue," Benny interrupted her, an evil smirk on his face. "But I think I have a hunch. Come on, let's get dressed first."

Maureen nodded and pulled away from Mark. "OK, good idea," she said, and she went with Cat to get dressed.

* * *

"Aw, would you look at that? How cute," Benny sneered sarcastically, as he, Cat, Maureen, Mark, and Collins located Roger and Bridget sleeping on the dock.

"Oh my gosh," Maureen said, her hand over her mouth. "Maybe we should leave them alone? I mean, they're OK, after all... Roger will be so pissed if he wakes up and finds us watching the two of them..."

"What's to be pissed about?" Benny asked, looking at her. "It's not like we caught them after they had sex or something." He looked at the others. "Come on, let's push them in."

"What?" Mark and Cat said together.

"You know, into the water," Benny said, grinning evilly. "Come on, please? It'll be funny."

"No, Benny!" Maureen said, a little too loudly. "They could drown or something."

"OK, which one of you is plotting to have us drowned?" Roger asked, without opening his eyes, making them all jump. Benny laughed and Roger realized who the culprit was. "Benny, I'm gonna kill you!"

"Pick your method," he teased, and Roger opened his eyes. Roger carefully untangled himself from Bridget's arms and ran off after Benny.

"Come on, you guys, chill!" Mark called after them, but he knew they weren't listening.

Maureen looked at Cat, Mark, and Collins. "We really should get her up, I think," Maureen said. "It looks like she's a heavy sleeper, but we don't want to startle her or anything."

Collins, Mark, and Cat nodded. "Yeah," they said, and the four of them went over to Bridget.

"Bridget, sweetie, wake up," Maureen said, shaking her lightly. But it didn't help. Bridget was still sound-asleep. Collins got up and went over to go try and break Roger and Benny up.

All of a sudden, Maureen heard Collins yell, "GUYS, DUCK!"

Mark and the girls looked up and ducked just in time, as Benny and Roger came charging toward them. Benny and Roger dived over Mark and the three girls and went plunging into the water. The three girls were drenched with water, and Bridget woke up with a yell.

"ARGH!" she yelled, sitting bolt-upright. "What going on?"

"Benny, you are such an ass!" Maureen yelled at the boys, who were fighting in the water and yelling at each other. "You guys, knock it off!"

But neither would quit before the other would give up, so Maureen decided to stop it for them. She walked off to the dock to the water's edge and picked up a large rock; not too big for her to carry, but big enough to make a difference in the boys' fight. Without saying a word, she went back over and grunted as she threw it into the water. It landed inches from Roger's and Benny's heads.

"Mo, what the hell are you trying to do, kill us?" Benny snapped, glaring at her and seeming to forget for a moment about Roger.

"Would you two stop it?" Maureen yelled at them. "You soaked Bridget when you fell into the water, you assholes! Stop fighting, OK? You two are so stupid!"

Roger and Benny looked at each other. They realized Maureen was entirely right. Roger looked at Benny. "She's right, man," he said. "This was really stupid. Are we cool?" He held out his hand for Benny to shake.

Benny nodded and they both treaded water as they shook hands. "Yeah, we're cool," he said. Benny looked at Maureen, Cat, and Bridget, all three of whom were looking disgusted. "Well, care to join us, ladies? Besides, Bridget, you're already soaked."

Bridget rolled her eyes and almost laughed. She sighed. "Well…" She saw Roger was giving her a pleading look. "Oh, all right, we can join you."

"_What?_" Cat exclaimed, aghast.

"What, you're saying you've never swam in your clothes before?" Bridget asked them mischievously.

Cat looked at Maureen, who was grinning. "I say we go for it," Maureen said, smirking at Cat. "It sounds like fun."

Cat laughed. "OK," she surrendered, and the girls stripped down into their underwear and bra and, with Collins close behind, jumped into the water after Benny and Roger.

I know quite a few people have been reading this story, but no one's reviewed. I would really appreciate hearing what people think of this story, especially since it's one of my first tries at a pre Rent story. The first one I had put up, I didn't like much, but I really like this one so far. I hope you like it, too. I would really like to hear what you think of it, so please review. Thanks. Next chapter may be up by tonight, but I'll have to see. It will be at least one more part about the lake, and then it's back to Scarsdale. Please tune in to see what I've got planned.

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


	4. Chapter 4

I finally updated! Sorry I haven't updated in almost a week, but I've been gone for five days, with no computer or Internet access, so... yeah, but I'm back now. This chapter is dedicated to my best guy friend, Charlie, who unfortunately had a similar experience several times in his life. Keep on singing and acting, buddy. You know you rock my socks off. The rest of you, enjoy this next chapter.

"So do I finally get to meet this secret new girl you've been seeing?" Mr. Davis teased, as Roger and Bridget came home from a movie one night to the Davis's, in order to meet Roger's parents.

"Yes, Dad, you do," Roger said, laughing and putting his arm around Bridget. "This is Bridget Kincaid. She's a senior, like me, and she lives with her mom in a flat not too far from here."

Mr. Davis nodded. "It's very nice to finally meet you, Bridget," he said, smiling at her. "Roger talks about you quite often."

Bridget smiled. "Does he?" she asked, looking up at Roger. She shook Mr. Davis's hand. "It's nice to meet you, too, Mr. Davis."

"This is my wife, Phoebe," Mr. Davis said, indicating to his wife, who was standing next to him.

"Nice to meet you, Bridget," Mrs. Davis said, smiling at her.

Bridget nodded and smiled. "So, does Roger have any brothers or sisters?" she asked.

"Nope, it's just him, spoiled and all," Mrs. Davis said, smiling fondly at her son.

"Thanks, Mom," Roger said, laughing, and he grinned at her.

Mrs. Davis laughed. "Well, I can see you two are happy together," she said, "so congratulations to you both. And welcome to Scarsdale, Bridget. If either you or your mom ever needs anything, just ask us, OK?"

"Thanks," she said, grinning, and Roger pulled her closer to him.

* * *

The following evening, Bridget was just about to go to bed, when she heard a knock on the front door. It was almost eleven, so she was puzzled about who would be coming over at this time of night. "Mom?' she asked, coming out of her room to the hallway. Mrs. Kincaid had also come out of her room, which was right next to Bridget's.

"Now who do you think that could be?" Mrs. Kincaid asked, frowning.

"Should I get it?" Bridget asked.

"No, that's OK, sweetie, I will," Mrs. Kincaid said, looking down at her. "You just go back to bed, OK?"

"OK," Bridget said, but after her mother went downstairs, Bridget stayed where she was and crouched down by the stairway banister to listen. What she heard chilled her blood.

"Steven," Mrs. Kincaid breathed, as she swung open the door and saw her ex-husband standing there, "what are you doing here?"

"Did you really think you could run from me that long, Crystal?" Steven said, walking into the house. Mrs. Kincaid looked up at him, scared. "I'm a CEO of a huge oil company, for God's sake. I have connections and friends in high and low places. You can't just leave like that and expect me not to find you again."

"You're not supposed to be here," Mrs. Kincaid said, her voice shaking.

"The hell I'm not!" Steven yelled, and he shoved her backward, hard. "You fucking called the police on me that night you left, didn't you? They fucking put me under house arrest! Do you know how fucking embarrassing it was to be dragged off by police in front of all my friends?" He glared at her. She didn't answer. "Well? Do you?"

Mrs. Kincaid shook her head and let out a whimper. "No," she said. "But you wouldn't change your ways when I first asked you to, months ago, so I changed mine and left. It was for your own good, too; you couldn't hurt us anymore." She looked up at him. "How did you find us?"

"I hired a Private Investigator, of course," Steven said, "just like all the other times. You were pretty good at avoiding him for a while, coming all the way here, but since I paid him an excessive amount of money every day, he didn't give up." Steven held his arms out to the side and Mrs. Kincaid flinched. "And here I am." He looked down at her through cold grey eyes. "Where's Bridget?"

"I don't—" Mrs. Kincaid began, but Steven cut her off.

"DON'T lie to me, Crystal!" Steven yelled, spit flying from his mouth.

"Bridget," Mrs. Kincaid said, as calmly as she could, without turning around, "get out of here."

"Mom—" Bridget said, standing up. She wanted to help her mother, but knew she couldn't.

"Bridget, I said go!" Mrs. Kincaid yelled this time.

Bridget swallowed and nodded, just as her father looked up, searching for her. Their eyes locked, grey against green, and he shoved past Mrs. Kincaid to make his way toward Bridget. Mrs. Kincaid grabbed him by the arm to try and stop him, but he hit her across the face, hard, and she fell to the floor.

"Mom!" Bridget yelled, terrified, and in a flash, she was down the stairs and in front of her father. She tried to fight him, but he was too strong. One hit to her head had her on the floor as well. She struggled to back away from him and ran straight back up the stairs again, once she regained her senses. Steven didn't follow.

Mrs. Kincaid wasn't moving. But Bridget knew she had to do as her mother said, and that was to get herself out of there, before her father came after her, too. Fighting him herself was just putting her in a dangerous position and she knew it. Bridget bolted to her room and opened her window. She climbed out onto a metal suspension hanging from her window to the ground, covered in vines, climbed down the suspension, and jumped the last few feet, landing cleanly on the ground. Then, after a last glance back at her new house— which had yet to feel quite like a home— she raced off to Roger's.

* * *

By now, Bridget knew well where Roger's house was. It was only three blocks away from hers, so it took her only a few minutes to get there. When she did, she raised her shaky fist and knocked.

Mrs. Davis answered the door. "Bridget?" she asked, looking down at Bridget sleepily. She let out a yawn. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry to come here like this, when it's so late, Mrs. Davis," Bridget panted, "but I need a place to stay, and, well… this is the first place I thought of."

Mrs. Davis noticed the tears shining on Bridget's face. "What happened, dear?" She beckoned Bridget inside. "Come in, come in."

"Thanks," Bridget said gratefully, and she entered the Davis' house. Mrs. Davis led her into the living room and sat her in a chair.

"Would you like anything?" Mrs. Davis asked. "Water? Pop? Milk?"

"Just water, thanks," Bridget said, and Mrs. Davis got her a glass of water. Then she sat down in a chair across from Bridget. "Where's Roger?" Bridget asked.

"Closing shop with his dad tonight," Mrs. Davis replied. "They should be back any minute."

"OK," Bridget said. "Thanks for letting me come in, Mrs. Davis. I know this is really awkward and all. I really appreciate it, though." Bridget tried to smile, but it came out as more of a pained grimace, because her face hurt where her dad had hit her.

"It's OK, sweetie," Mrs. Davis assured her. "Now tell me what happened. I'll do anything I can to help."

"Thanks," Bridget said. "Well, I guess I should start from the beginning. You know I used to live in Wyoming on a ranch, right?" She looked up at Mrs. Davis, who nodded. "Well, the reason we left is because my dad was— is— abusive. He's a CEO of a huge oil company down in Wyoming. We don't really know why, but when I was five years old, he started drinking and abusing us. It started subtly at first, with stuff like pinching, but as the years went on, it accelerated to hair pulling and beatings for small things, like breaking a glass or something."

She held up her long brown hair. "And with hair like this, you can guess how easy it was for him to pull mine first." Mrs. Davis nodded and Bridget went on. "I was six years old when he came home on a drunken rage one evening, slammed me into a countertop, and broke my arm."

Just before Bridget closed her eyes, images of the painful memory flashing through her mind, she saw Mrs. Davis's hand fly up to her mouth in shock.

"But we lied to the doctors and told them that I'd been climbing a tree and fell. My mom left him and went back to him seven times, until recently. Every time we'd leave, no matter where we'd go, he would always find us. She was constantly in and out of jobs, as we frequently fled that bastard. We were even down in Mexico City at one point, from when I was twelve until I was fourteen. That was the best, because the people were nice, they taught us Spanish, and we could work off our stay, however short or longer it was. I babysat for a family, whose two little kids— a girl named Mimi, and a boy named Juan— well, they were the most adorable, well-mannered, sweetest kids in the world. I haven't seen that family since— I think their last name was Marquez?" Bridget tried to remember, but didn't.

"They gave me the best fourteenth birthday party I could ask for, just the two of us and their family and a Mexican celebration bash, and then we got word that my dad was in town for 'business'— yeah, right— and we had to leave again. That was the last time I ever saw those sweet kids' faces again."

Bridget looked down, trying to hide her tears, but she went on after a moment. "Our Mexican citizenship was temporary, and we've rented shitty apartments everywhere else. This is the first true house we've been able to afford. I'd give anything to go back to Mexico again, but if I did, I wouldn't get to see Roger."

She was about to continue, but was interrupted by Mr. Davis and Roger arriving home. "Roger, honey, can you and your dad come in the living room, please?" Mrs. Davis called.

"Mom, we're tired," Roger whined, coming into the living room. "What do you— Baby, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?" he asked. He immediately went over to her, surprised, and put his arms around her. "Tell me."

"Do you want me to tell them, Bridget?" Mrs. Davis asked, looking at Bridget, who nodded. "Bridget's dad found her and her mom tonight."

She looked at Roger, who looked back blankly. "Yeah?" he asked, pulling Bridget a little closer to him.

Mrs. Davis looked at Bridget for further permission. Bridget nodded again. "Bridget's father was abusive for years. They've tried to get away several times, but he's always managed to find them," Mrs. Davis told her husband and Roger. "He's a CEO of a big oil company, so he's been able to hire a Private Investigator every time they left, in order to find them again."

"That's fucked up," Roger growled angrily.

"Roger, watch your language," Mr. Davis scolded him.

"Sorry, Dad," Roger said, "but the man deserves to be behind bars for what he's done to them. Don't you agree?" He looked at his father.

"I do," Bridget said, before either of Roger's parents had said anything. "Mr. Davis, most of my mom's and my stuff is still down in Wyoming. If he's not there, due to jail or whatever, can't we go get it back and start a real life here in Scarsdale?" She looked at Mr. Davis. "That's all I want."

"Don't worry, Bridget," Mr. Davis said, "we'll help you with that."

"OK, thanks, Mr. Davis," Bridget said. Then her face clouded. "Oh my God, I almost forgot about my mom! She told me to get out of there, but he was hurting her. God, I have to go back. How am I supposed to know if she's OK otherwise?"

"Roger and I will go," Mr. Davis said. "You stay with Phoebe, OK?"

"OK," Bridget said, and she sat down wearily in a nearby chair.

"Are you gonna be OK, Baby?" Roger asked, looking at her with concern.

"Yeah, I'll live," Bridget said, waving him off. "You can go."

Roger nodded and left with his father.

* * *

"Oh my God, Mom!" Bridget exclaimed with relief, as Crystal came hobbling into the Davis's house with Mr. Davis and Roger, a little while later. Bridget rushed over to Mrs. Kincaid and threw her arms around her mother. "Are you OK?"

"Ow, ow, ow," Mrs. Kincaid groaned, as Bridget hugged her gently. "Yeah, I'm OK, sweetie, are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Mom," Bridget said, as she helped her mother into a chair. "God, what did Dad do to you after I left? Why are you limping?"

"It's nothing, honey," Mrs. Kincaid said, shrugging it off. "I twisted my ankle when I fell, that's all."

Bridget could already see bruises forming and swelling rising on her mother's face. "Mom," she choked, as tears formed in her eyes.

"Don't worry, honey, I'm fine," Mrs. Kincaid said. "As long as you're OK, I'm OK."

Bridget nodded and turned to Mr. Davis. "Mr. Davis, what are we gonna do?" she asked him.

"I called the police on the way down," Mr. Davis said. "They should be arresting him soon. I told them to come here once they had, so we could have this"— he indicated to Mrs. Kincaid— documented for evidence and set up a court date to press charges and, hopefully, put him behind bars for good."

Mrs. Kincaid nodded and winced. "Thank you, Mr. Davis," she said quietly.

Mr. Davis nodded. "Of course," he said. "Also, Mrs. Kincaid—"

"Please, call me Crystal," Mrs. Kincaid said to him.

Mr. Davis nodded. "OK. Also, Crystal, if you and Bridget want to stay here tonight, you may. There's a guest bedroom that you and Bridget can stay in, next to Roger's."

"Oh," Mrs. Kincaid said, looking up. "Thank you, but no. I would really like to go home after this is all over and sleep in my own bed, if that's OK."

"That's perfectly fine," Mr. Davis assured her, nodding again. "Bridget?" He turned to face her.

Bridget turned to her mother. "I'd like to stay," she said, looking at her mother.

"OK," Mrs. Kincaid said, "as long as you're safe."

"Don't worry, Mom, the Davis's won't let anything happen to me." She smiled weakly.

"OK, then you can stay," Mrs. Kincaid said. Not too much later, an officer and detective came to talk to Bridget and Mrs. Kincaid. They were photographed and their statements given, and then Mrs. Kincaid gave Bridget a hug.

"Crystal," Mrs. Davis said, "let me give you a ride home? We don't want you walking on that ankle for a while."

"OK," Mrs. Kincaid said, feeling in no mood to argue. She thanked the officer and detective, and then left with Mrs. Davis.

Roger came forward and put his arms around Bridget's waist from behind. "Don't worry," he said, "my mom will take care of her. She'll make sure she's settled in and doing fine. And it's late. You should get some sleep."

"OK," Bridget said.

"Dad," Roger said, turning to Mr. Davis, "Bridget and I are going to go to bed, OK?"

"OK, Roger," Mr. Davis said, "just remember the rules. Bridget, the guest room is right next to Roger's."

"OK," Bridget said, smiling at Mr. Davis. They bid each other goodnight in the hallway and then each went into their respective bedrooms. Bridget was so tired that she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

As always, don't forget to review. Next chapter will be up soon.

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


	5. Chapter 5

Here's chapter 5. Enjoy.

The next morning, Roger woke up first. He went next door and looked in on Bridget. He noticed she was still asleep, so he went out into the kitchen and noticed his mother was already up. He went over and kissed her on the cheek.

"Good morning, Mom," he said brightly.

"Good morning, Roger," she replied. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Roger said.

"Where's Bridget?"

"She's still sleeping."

"Was she OK last night?"

"Yeah, she was fine. She fell asleep right away. We didn't even get a chance to talk."

"Oh," Mrs. Davis said. "Well, she was probably exhausted. Poor girl, she doesn't deserve what happened to her, none of it."

"I know, Mom," Roger said. "Her dad will be lucky if I don't ever meet him. I don't need guns or knives— I could kill him with my bare hands, if I was mad enough."

"Roger…"

"What? You know it's true. That bastard doesn't deserve to live."

"I know, honey, but don't make threats like that, OK?"

"OK, OK, fine."

Roger frowned and drank his coffee in silence. They heard a door open a while later, and Bridget came out to the kitchen.

"Hey, Baby," Roger said, going over to take her into his arms. "Did you sleep OK?"

"Yes, thank you," Bridget said, leaning up to kiss him. "I thought no one could get you up before Noon?"

"Oh, well, I decided to get up," Roger said. "Damn robin outside our window wouldn't quit singing in my ear." Bridget laughed. "Besides, you're reason enough for me to not waste the day."

Bridget smiled. "Thanks, Roger," she said, looking up at him. "Well, I suppose we'd better get ready for school, huh?"

"Are you sure?" Roger asked. "I mean, after last night?"

"Roger, I'm fine," Bridget assured him. "Don't worry, OK? My dad's in custody, awaiting trial and charges. He can't get to my mom and me. Why wouldn't I be OK?"

"You know, you're right, Baby," Roger said, kissing her forehead. "So, well, what do you want to do, since we're up so early?"

"Well, why don't we go see how my mom is doing?" Bridget suggested, looking up at him. "I'm not sure I'll be able to concentrate in school today, without knowing that she's OK."

"That sounds great, Baby," Roger said, smiling at her. He took her hand in his and kissed it. Then they went and got dressed and left.

* * *

Bridget walked into the Kincaid house with Roger a few minutes later, without even thinking to knock. "Mom?" she called.

"I'm in the den, honey," Mrs. Kincaid called, and Bridget and Roger went in to her.

"How are you doing?" Bridget asked.

"I'm OK," Mrs. Kincaid said. "I'm a little sore. The good thing about second graders, though, is you can say you fell and got banged up, and some of them will ask if there's anything they could do." She smiled sadly. "But at least they won't ask questions." She looked at Bridget and put her hand on her daughter's cheek. Bridget flinched, but only slightly. "I'm just glad you're OK."

"I'm glad you're OK, too, Mom," Bridget said. "Did Mrs. Davis stop by yet?"

"Yes, she did, and we had a little breakfast together," Mrs. Kincaid said, smiling. "I'm very grateful to have someone like your parents for friends here, Roger," she added to him.

Roger beamed. "Thanks, Mrs. Kincaid," he said. "We try our best."

"We're a pretty good team when we're together, aren't we?" Bridget asked Mrs. Kincaid and Roger.

* * *

"Oh my God, Bree," Maureen said, the next day at school, "what happened to you?"

Bridget looked at Maureen and was silent for a moment. The bruises around her face were finally starting to show up, and Maureen hadn't noticed the day before, nor had Cat or any of the others. "Mo," she said quietly, "I don't want to tell you here."

Maureen frowned. "Why not?" she asked.

"Mo…" Bridget said hesitantly. "Seriously, not here, OK? Please, don't press me."

Maureen looked confused. "Did something bad happen while I was gone?" she asked.

"Mo, stop it," Roger said firmly. "When Bridget wants to tell you, she will."

"It's fine, Roger," Bridget said, and she sighed wearily. She looked at Maureen. "You really wanna know?"

"_Yes_," Maureen insisted.

"OK, fine, you asked for it," Bridget said, looking at Cat, Mark, and Benny, as they came over to the group. She took a deep breath and told them everything. She told them about her dad, them moving so much and why, and finally came to the previous night's events. Cat looked stunned and angry, but Maureen was looking murderous.

"That fucker," she growled. "Did your mom divorce him?"

"Yeah, when I was eight, it finalized," Bridget said.

"Was your mom OK?" Cat asked, concerned.

"Yeah, she was OK," Bridget said. "We went back to my house before school and made sure she was OK. She teaches second grade at Scarsdale Elementary now."

"Good," Maureen said, "I'm glad. You've had kind of a fucked up start to the school year, haven't you?"

"Not really, Mo, why do you say that?" Bridget asked, looking at Maureen, surprised.

"Well, because you had some really fucked up things happen," Maureen said, looking back at her. "I'm not sure what I would have done if that was me."

Bridget nodded. "Yeah, I guess I have," she said, "but if I hadn't, I wouldn't have come here and met you guys."

Maureen smiled. "Yeah, you know, you're right," she said, putting her arm around Bridget's shoulders. "We should get to class— we're late."

"See you at lunch, OK?" Bridget asked.

"Yep," Maureen said, and the group went their separate ways.

* * *

_One week later…_

"Hey, Baby, where have you been all day?" Roger asked, as Bridget arrived at his house after school the next Friday. "I didn't see you today."

"I had to go to testify at my dad's court case at ten, remember?" Bridget asked him, looking up at him, as they went and sat in the living room together.

"Oh yeah," Roger said, suddenly remembering. "Sorry, I forgot."

"It's OK," Bridget said. "I had wanted to, you know, keep somewhat quiet about it."

"OK," Roger said, "but we should probably tell the gang. Mo has been worried you were sick or something."

"Yeah, we probably should," Bridget said. "I don't want Mo to have an aneurysm. But she just might, knowing the outcome; my dad got convicted."

"Good," Roger said, beaming at her and kissing her. "I'm glad he did. It'll make yours and your mom's lives so much easier now."

"Yeah, it will," Bridget agreed. "But come on, we have to prevent that aneurysm."

"Yeah, we do; otherwise, she'll really be pissed," Roger said, putting his arm around her waist. "We can go to the Dairy Queen or something and tell them now?"

"OK," Bridget said, looking up at him. "Oh, and you should know, I'm gonna be gone next weekend."

"Where are you going?"

"My mom and I are driving down to Wyoming with a moving company to get our stuff back. I might miss some school, but I'm not sure. Do you think you guys could get all my homework for me while I'm gone?"

"Of course, Baby," Roger said, kissing the top of her head. He pulled her close to him and she leaned against his strong frame. "Bridget, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what?" Bridget asked, lifting her head off his chest to look at him.

"Are you happy here with me?" he asked, looking down at her.

"Oh, Roger, of course I—" Bridget began, but Roger cut her off.

"No, Bridget," he said, looking down at her, "I'm serious."

Bridget looked into his mesmerizing green eyes and got lost for a moment in them. Then she pulled back slightly and said seriously, "So am I. Yes, I'm happy here with you. I've never been with a guy— a young man— so caring, so gentle, and yet, so… free-spirited, despite being stuck in a hicktown like this. I mean, you're open with your feelings for me and how you show them, and you never worry about what anybody thinks of you, or of us."

Roger nodded. "Wow," he said. "OK, that was serious enough for me."

Bridget smiled. "Well, you said you wanted serious," she said.

"Yeah, I guess I did say that, didn't I?" Roger asked, looking down at her.

"Yeah, you did," Bridget said, smiling. "Come on, we have to go call Mo and Collins and everybody." She pushed him playfully toward the phone, and Roger pulled her around and kissed her. "Roger!" she said, laughing.

"OK, OK," Roger surrendered, picking up the phone. "I'll stop loving you for ten minutes and I'll call."

"Good," Bridget said, laughing, and tossing her long brown hair.

Next chapter will be up soon. Don't forget to review.

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


	6. Chapter 6

This story will end in two chapters, but be prepared for a dramatic ending.

"Hey, Baby, Happy Birthday," Roger said, coming over to kiss Bridget before class on December nineteenth, their last day of school before Christmas vacation.

"Thanks, Roger," Bridget said, laughing, and kissing him back. "But you know my birthday is not for another five days, right?"

"Right, of course," Roger said, putting his arm around her. "Hey, you know what we could do?"

"What?" Bridget asked, looking up at him.

"We should do something, just me and you,"" he said. "We could go ice-skating or something."

"Roger Davis, do you even know how to ice-skate?" Bridget asked, looking up at him suspiciously.

"Well, um, no," Roger said, grinning. "But it's never too late to learn. Oh, hey, I'm supposed to tell you, you and your mom are welcome to join us Davises for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. My mom's making her annual huge dinner."

"OK, thanks, Roger," Bridget said, smiling appreciatively at him. "I appreciate it a lot. Scarsdale is beginning to really feel like home."

"I'm so glad, Baby," Roger said, kissing her. "Collins is coming home from NYU to spend two weeks with us. We're gonna do fireworks in the center of town on Christmas Eve at Midnight, too. You should come along after our date."

"OK, I will," Bridget promised him.

"And there's a huge Christmas tree they put up in the center of town that we can go see, too."

"Wow." Bridget was surprised. "Scarsdale really picks up during Christmas."

"Yeah, it does," Roger said. "So I'll see you next time, Christmas Eve, at six?"

"You bet," Bridget said, and she kissed him one last time before she went to class.

* * *

Bridget ran toward the front door as she heard the doorbell ring. "Mom, I'm leaving!" she called, looking over her shoulder.

"OK, sweetie," Mrs. Kincaid said, "but be back by ten, OK? We're going to watch the fireworks, and we've got everybody coming over for your party."

"OK, we will," Bridget said. "Bye, Mom." She opened the door and saw Roger standing on the front steps, waiting for her. "Hi."

"Hey, yourself," he said, smiling as he leaned down to kiss her. "You look great."

"Thanks," Bridget said, smiling. "Are you ready to go?"

"Hey, that's my line," Roger said, laughing. "So, exactly how hard _is _ice-skating to do?"

"It's not, I promise," Bridget said, smiling at him. "Just make sure you tighten the laces quite a bit, so you don't wobble, or you'll get tired ankles."

"OK," Roger said, and they drove to the rink.

* * *

Bridget smiled happily as she slowly glided around the rink with Roger. She looked up at him and noticed he was looking down at her, too. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing, just getting lost in you," Roger said dreamily, smiling down at her.

She leaned up to kiss him, but he pulled away. "What?" she asked again, looking up at him.

"I need to tell you something," Roger said, looking down at her. "If I don't say it now, it is gonna burst out of me like an alien or something. Remember when I asked you, in all seriousness, if you were happy with me here?"

"Yes," Bridget said, looking up at him. "Why?"

"Because I have to say… Bridget, I love you," Roger said, with no hesitation. "I love everything about you; your hair, your beautiful eyes, your smile, everything. I wouldn't change one thing about you; even the bad stuff, because they made you who you are today. I just wanted you to know that." He looked down at her. "But if that's too soon, you can tell me so."

"No, I don't think it is," Bridget said, looking up at him and smiling. "It's our senior year— we might as well not waste it."

Roger looked down at her. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean, I love you, too," Bridget said, and a moment later, Roger took her face in his hands and kissed her passionately. After they parted, Bridget looked at him, surprised. "Wow, that was… wow. Have you been practicing?"

Roger laughed. "Only with you, Baby," he said, grinning.

"I think we might have a better way to spend our Christmas, don't you?" Bridget asked him, looking up at him.

"But we've got to meet them for the fireworks," Roger said, looking down at her.

"Forget the fireworks," Bridget said, leaning against him. "I want to be with you."

"Bridget Leanne Kincaid, I told your mom, no breaking her rules," Roger said sternly, frowning at her. "Trust me, we have the rest of our lives for that, OK?"

Bridget sighed with frustration as Roger smiled down at her.

"Fine," she said, crossing her arms across her chest and continuing to walk with him.

* * *

"Thanks for the great party, you guys," Bridget said, her arm around Roger as they walked back to the Davises house with the group.

Roger smiled. "Well, we're glad you had fun," he said, and he brushed the snow off her shoulders and head lovingly.

"The fireworks were awesome," Maureen said, smiling, as she pulled Mark closer to her.

"Yeah, they were," Bridget said distractedly. She noticed a tall Black man walking down the street. When she realized who it was, her mouth fell open and she exclaimed, "Oh my God! Collins!"

Collins grinned and held out his arms, and he hugged her when she untangled herself from Roger's arms and ran up to him. "Hey, Baby girl," he said, hugging her fondly, "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks," she said, smiling and kissing him on the cheek. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Of course, Baby girl," he said. "I wasn't gonna miss my Baby girl's birthday and being here with you guys for Christmas. Are you having fun?"

"Yeah, we've been having a blast," Bridget said. "Maureen's staying with us, so we can party. It should be fun."

Collins smiled. "I'm glad," he said. "Can I come, too?"

"Of course, Collins," Mr. Davis said, smiling at him.

"Thanks, Mr. Davis," Collins sad, smiling. "So are you feeling eighteen yet, Baby girl?" he asked, turning to Bridget, who had gone back over to Roger.

"Mm, not really," Bridget said, shaking her head. Then something occurred to her. "Oh, I forgot— introductions. Mom, this is Collins, a sophomore at NYU. Collins, this is my mom, Phoebe."

"It's good to finally meet you, Mrs. Kincaid," Collins said, smiling at Mrs. Kincaid as he shook her hand.

"You, too, Collins," Mrs. Kincaid said, smiling back at him.

"Well, we should maybe get back," Mrs. Davis said. "Collins, you'll have to bunk on the floor, if that's OK?"

"That's just fine, Mrs. Davis," Collins said, smiling at her.

* * *

Roger and Bridget walked into the Davis residence with the group, a little while later, and everyone stayed up, talking and laughing. Finally, Bridget and Roger were the last to retire for the night, after wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. Roger was asleep in his bed when he felt someone shaking him. He rolled over and saw Bridget standing beside him.

"What are you doing?" he whispered, startled.

"Shh," Bridget whispered, silencing him with two fingers. "I just wanted to see you."

"Baby, you know we can't," Roger said, shaking his head. "Your mom—"

"Forget my mom, Roger," Bridget cut him off. "I'm eighteen now. We can do what I want."

"Bridget…" Roger said, as Bridget climbed over him and lay next to him on his bed. "You're very forward."

Bridget looked up at him. "I am, when I know what I want," she said seductively.

Roger looked deeply into Bridget's eyes, searching them for any sign of hesitance. There wasn't any, only in his eyes. But he was going to wait until she was ready, and she said she was, so what was stopping him? In the next several minutes, a game ensued, and the pile of clothes grew on the floor. Roger leaned down every few seconds, kissing Bridget, and they began to make love. It was slow at first, but it was the first time for both of them, so it was beautiful and extra special.

Bridget shifted slightly from underneath Roger. "Are you OK?" he asked, looking down at her with concern.

"Yeah, I'm all right," Bridget said, smiling up at him and leaning up to kiss him. "I love you, Roger."

"I love you, too, Bridget," Roger said, smiling as he leaned down to kiss her again. He gently lay his head down on her chest and they both fell asleep as Christmas Morning dawned, bright and cold.

As always, don't forget to review.

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


	7. Chapter 7

Rosablasifann08, you'll recognize the doctor's name in this chapter. This chapter's longer than usual, so enjoy.

The next morning, Roger woke with a start to someone knocking on their door. Roger rolled over and looked at the clock. It said 7:30.

"Shit, that's Mark," he murmured, and he slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Bridget. He went over to the door, opened it, and saw Mark standing there. "What do you want?" he asked.

"Get up, Roger, you're burning daylight," Mark said. "You two are the last to resurrect." Roger opened the door and Mark slipped into the room. "Wait, what's this?" he asked, seeing Bridget lying, asleep, in Roger's bed. "Did you two…?"

"Yeah, we did," Roger said, nodding.

Mark's eyebrows rose. "Really?" he asked. "Did you use protection?"

"What are you, my mother?" Roger asked irritably. "No, it happened too fast."

"But what about—" Mark began, but Roger cut him off.

"I know, Mark, I know, OK?" Roger said, annoyed. "Look, we're both 18 now, so if it happens, it happens. I know what I'm doing, OK?" He turned around to check on Bridget, realizing he'd unintentionally raised his voice, and he saw she was sitting up, her knees pulled up to her chest, looking at them both. "Bridget?" he asked, looking over at her.

"Is that all this was, Roger?" she asked, tears in her eyes. "Was it only a one-time thing? Maybe it shouldn't have happened? Is that what you meant?"

"No, Baby, that's not what I meant," Roger protested, looking at her.

"What did you mean, Roger?" she asked, looking up at him, as the tears began to fall down her voice.

"Well…" Roger realized now that he really didn't know what he meant. "What I mean, Baby, is I love you. I know you're scared it might happen… you getting pregnant, you know… but we'll use protection from now on and if it happens, we'll deal with it, OK?"

Bridget looked down. "You told Mark that you'd marry me if it happened, too," she said, trying not to sound accusatory. "Is that all?"

"Is that all?" Roger asked, stung by her words. "What do you mean, 'is that all'? Baby, if we're gonna get married someday, I'm gonna do it right, OK? You won't be disappointed." He held out his arms for her to come to him, and she did.

"I hope not, Roger," she said, snuggling close to him. "I really hope not."

* * *

_Two months later…_

"Hey, Cat?" Bridget called, as she kneeled over the toilet, with Maureen holding her hair, as she threw up.

"Yeah, sweetie?" Cat asked, coming into the bathroom to them. They were at the Johnson's, spending the weekend with Roger, Mark, and Benny. Collins was back at NYU until May, when he would graduate with a double major in computers and philosophy.

"Can you do me a favor?" Bridget asked, looking up at her.

"Sure, what?" Cat asked.

"I… I think I need a test," Bridget said. "Can you run to the drugstore and get it for me?"

"A pregnancy test, sweetie?" Cat asked, looking surprised and sympathetic. "Really?"

"Yes," Bridget said, collapsing against Maureen and breathing hard. "Please?"

"Well, I don't know, Bridget," Cat said hesitantly, looking nervous. "I don't know if I could be, you know, convincing enough… And Scarsdale's a small town— if anybody found out…"

"I'll do it, Bree," Maureen volunteered, throwing Cat a scowl. "Trickery is my specialty. Don't worry, I'll take care of it, OK?"

"OK, thank you," Bridget said, smiling weakly at her. "And you guys have to promise not to tell anyone, OK?" She looked at them seriously. Maureen and Cat were suddenly quiet. "I'm serious, you two," she added firmly. "No telling anyone— not my mom, not even Roger."

"What?" Maureen and Cat exclaimed, staring at her.

"No," Bridget said, "I don't want Roger to know… in case something bad happens, you know? That way, he won't be… attached to it, and it'll be easier."

"Bree, that's not right, and you know it," Maureen snapped, glaring at her. "Roger would want to know."

"I know," Bridget said, "but he's not going to. Not until I'm ready."

"OK…" Maureen said, still looking unconvinced. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes."

"OK, I'm not going anywhere," Bridget said, and she watched Maureen leave, closing the door behind herself.

* * *

"So what did you say to get them to give it to you to buy?" Cat asked, as Maureen returned with the pregnancy test.

"That my mom needed it, of course," Maureen said matter-of-factly, as she came into the bathroom, where Cat and Bridget still were sitting.

"Well, thanks," Bridget said, taking it from her. "I'll be out in a minute. And Maureen, you're still on a gag order," she added firmly.

"OK, OK, fine," Maureen said, and she stomped out of the bathroom. Cat placed a comforting arm on Bridget's shoulder and smiled sympathetically at her, before following Maureen out. Bridget attempted to smile back, and then she began to take the test.

A few minutes later, she came out of the bathroom. Maureen and Cat were standing nearby, waiting. "So…?" Maureen asked expectantly, her voice shaking with nervousness.

Bridget swallowed and nodded, her brain numb.

Maureen's face fell and then brightened a second later. "OK, so you know what you're gonna do?" she asked, looking at Bridget.

Bridget shook her head. "No, what?" she asked.

"You're gonna go to my doctor and get an exam," Maureen said.

As she said that, Roger came up the stairs. Bridget gasped. "Oh no," she said, and she ducked into the bathroom again.

"Where's Bridget?" Roger asked. "You three have been in there forever. If the bathroom is the social place these days, you could have let me know."

"No," Maureen said, and she was suddenly flustered. She put her face in her hands and sighed. "Oh, I'll be right back." She ducked quickly into the bathroom with Bridget as well.

Roger turned to Benny, Mark, and Cat, and gave them a perplexed look. "What's up with her?" he asked.

Mark shrugged. "She's probably just stressed from school," he said.

"Has Maureen _ever _been stressed about school?" Benny pointed out.

Mark frowned. "Good point," he said. "OK, so then I don't know."

"What about Bridget?" Roger asked. "Do you think she's OK?"

"She's fine," Cat said, a little too quickly.

Roger turned to her and gave her a look this time. "What do you and Mo know that we don't?" he asked.

"Nothing," Cat said, remembering to keep a straight face. "I'm not saying anything."

Roger sighed. "Fine," he said, and he went back downstairs with Benny and Mark.

* * *

"It's gonna be fine," Maureen whispered to Bridget, squeezing her hand encouragingly, as the orderly came out and called Bridget's name from the clipboard. "Doctor Campbell is great, I promise. You'll like her a lot."

"If you say so," Bridget murmured, and she went into Doctor Campbell's office with Maureen. A minute later, Doctor Campbell came in.

"Hi, I'm Doctor Andrea Campbell," she said. "I'm Maureen's regular doctor. She tells me I have a personal favor to do?"

Bridget blushed and looked at Maureen. "I guess so," she said quietly.

"Can you fill me in? Background information, I mean?" Doctor Campbell asked.

"Sure. My boyfriend and I had sex on Christmas Eve. I'm late for my period. I'm afraid I'm pregnant."

Doctor Campbell nodded. "When was your last period?" she asked.

"The fifth of December and I'm a twenty-one day cycle," Bridget answered.

"OK," Doctor Campbell said, and she wrote it down. "Is it OK if I do an ultrasound?"

"Um, yeah, sure, I guess," Bridget said, and she lay back on the table. She held Maureen's hand as Doctor Campbell spread the gel and ran the instrument over her stomach. A minute later, she stopped.

"What?" Bridget asked, sitting up slightly. "What is it?"

"You're definitely pregnant, Bridget. Look and see," Doctor Campbell said. "You're almost three months along, judging by your pelvic size."

Bridget lay back down and looked over at the screen. "That's my baby, Mo. That's our baby." Maureen nodded and smiled silently at Bridget, tears in her eyes.

"Does the father know?" Doctor Campbell asked, looking at Bridget.

As quickly as Bridget's face had lit up when she had seen her baby for the first time, her eyes filled with tears at the mention of Roger. "Bridget?" Doctor Campbell asked, looking at her with concern.

"No," she sobbed, "he doesn't. But forget Roger, how am I gonna tell my mom? I graduate in May and then I'm supposed to go to college. How do I tell her, Doctor Campbell?"

"Straight-up, Bridget," Doctor Campbell said, looking at her seriously. "It will only be harder if you avoid the truth. Unless, do you maybe want me to tell her?"

"No, no, I will," Bridget sobbed, and she wiped her eyes. "What am I supposed to do, Doctor Campbell? I mean, don't I have to follow a special diet and stuff?"

"I'm going to refer you to a nutritionist, who will help you with that," Doctor Campbell said, "and I'm going to give you pre-natal vitamins to take twice a day, OK?"

"OK," Bridget said, nodding, as Maureen held her close.

* * *

On Sunday, Bridget went into the kitchen. Leaning against the doorframe, she looked at Mrs. Kincaid. "Mom?" she asked.

"Yes, sweetie?" Mrs. Kincaid asked, looking up from washing dishes. "Could you come dry, please?"

Bridget nodded and went over to her mother and began to dry the dishes. "I have to tell you something," she said, not meeting her mother's gaze.

"What?" Mrs. Kincaid asked, looking out at her as she set a glass into the right side of the sink for Bridget to dry.

Bridget picked up the glass and dried it with the towel, her hands shaking badly. She couldn't meet her mother's gaze as she suddenly blurted out, "I'm pregnant."

Her hands shook even worse for a second, as a stunned silence came over the kitchen. Bridget's hands went weak and she dropped the glass. She glanced at her mother, whom she saw was furious, and then she whirled around and ran out of the room, tears streaming down her face, as the glass shattered on the floor.

* * *

Bridget was still lying on her bed, crying, when Mrs. Kincaid came into her room. She sat down on the bed next to Bridget and rubbed her back. She didn't say anything for several moments, thinking, and then she spoke.

"Bridget, I can't say I'm not disappointed, because I am. You didn't use protection, like I would have expected, did you?" Bridget shook her head. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know, Mom," Bridget sobbed. "I'm so sorry this happened. What can I do?"

"Well, how far along are you?"

"Almost three months," Bridget answered. "Maureen's doctor did me a favor. You would have found out eventually, because they're gonna bill you."

"OK, so you can either keep the baby, since you'll be graduated by the time the baby comes, or you can get an abortion? I doubt you'll consent to that."

"No, Mom, absolutely not," Bridget said, burying her face in her pillow.

"I didn't think so, but I had to ask. So there's only one thing I can think of you to do."

Bridget lifted her head off the pillow. "What?" she asked.

"I'm so sorry I have to do this, Bridget, but there's a home for unwed mothers in New York City, for you to stay at and you can finish school there, too." Mrs. Kincaid looked down at her daughter, her expression begging for forgiveness.

"What?" Bridget yelled, glaring at her. "You're kicking me out?"

"No, you'll come home as soon as you make the decision to keep him or her, or give the baby up. But please don't make that decision until then, OK?" Mrs. Kincaid asked.

Bridget buried her face in her pillow again. "Mom, I can't believe you're fucking making me do that," she sobbed. "How can you do something like that?"

Mrs. Kincaid rubbed her daughter's back some more, but Bridget slapped her hand away. Mrs. Kincaid started to choke up and tried to hide her tears. "Bridget, it's all I can think of to do," she said. "If I have to send you away for you to be safe, then I will."

But she could see that her daughter would not be consoled, so eventually, she stood up and left the room.

As always, don't forget to review. Thank you to all who have reviewed so far. I love feedback. This story will end in one more chapter. The sequel, mostly post-Rent, will be up ASAP. But since it's not even started yet, I won't make any promises as to when that will be. Please continue being patient with me. Thanks.

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


	8. Chapter 8

Here is the final chapter. Be prepared for drama.

"Bree, you look— you look terrible."

Bridget looked at Maureen wearily. She hadn't gotten to sleep until dawn. She had finally cried herself to sleep and barely had rolled out of bed that morning to get to school. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot and her hair, normally well-kept, was a mess.

"Bridget, what is it?" Cat asked, looking at her from across the table.

Bridget merely shook her head and gave Cat a look that clearly said, 'not here.' Roger had been asking her all morning what was wrong, but she wouldn't say. She had finally had enough of his asking questions, so she was eating lunch outside with Cat and Maureen today, on the mild March day. She knew Roger was worried about her, but she didn't want him to know anything.

* * *

That afternoon, however, once Roger had gone to work with Mr. Davis at the shop, Bridget cracked. She was walking home from school with Maureen, Cat, Mark, and Benny, when she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"She's making me leave, Mo," she said quietly.

"Huh?" Maureen asked, caught off-guard.

"She's making me leave!" Bridget yelled, and she stopped walking as she started to cry. "I fucking told her I'm pregnant and she's fucking sending me to a home for unwed mothers! How am I supposed to know when I'll see Scarsdale again? I haven't even told Roger that I'm pregnant yet, and I'm fucking leaving him by the end of the week! And I can't do a damn thing about it!"

Bridget fell to her knees on the concrete and cried, wrapping her arms around herself. As her body shook with sobs, Maureen bent down next to her and put her arms around Bridget's shoulders.

"Bree…" she said quietly, looking helplessly at Cat.

But Cat knew, for the first time in her life, the drama queen had been stunned into silence.

"What can we do, Bridget?" Cat asked gently.

Bridget wiped her eyes and stood up with the girls' help. "Can you— can you tell Roger?" she asked. "But not until I— I leave, OK?"

Maureen and Cat nodded. They looked at Mark and Benny, who nodded as well, also sealing the deal. "OK," she said quietly, "we'll tell him. But he already knows something's up. I can't even imagine what he's gonna do when he knows you're leaving."

"He'll probably come after me," Bridget said, and she almost laughed, but it sent her into more bitter tears.

Maureen sighed and she and Cat both put their hands on Bridget's tense, shaking shoulders. "It'll be OK, Bree," Maureen said reassuringly, but she had tears in her eyes. "We'll take care of him for you."

But she was not looking forward to what Roger would be like when he found out the love of his life was leaving.

* * *

"Mo, where's Bridget?" Roger asked, walking into his house a few days later, and seeing Maureen sitting silently in a chair in the living room, Cat, Benny, and Mark with her. Maureen didn't say anything, but after a moment of heavy silence, Cat let out a sob and put her hand over her mouth, as tears began to flow down her cheeks. She sent Benny a distressed glance and went running into the bathroom, her long, wavy blonde hair bouncing off her back.

Roger was confused. "What's up with her?" he asked Benny. But Benny merely shrugged and went in to her. Roger turned to Maureen and asked, "Mo, seriously, what's going on? Bridget's been acting weird lately, you haven't said a word since I got back from the shop, and Cat's crying. Tell me right now."

Maureen couldn't stand it anymore. She burst into tears and looked at Roger, who was now looking alarmed. Maureen sobbed for a few seconds, as Mark rushed over to her and put his arms around her, and then she took a deep breath and spoke.

"She's leaving, Roger!" she exclaimed, her face in her hands. "I wasn't supposed to tell you, but she got pregnant when you guys had sex on Christmas Eve. She was scared, Roger. She didn't want you to know about it, because she was afraid you'd get attached to the baby or something, and then something bad might happen. She's done everything she could to make sure she didn't get attached, either."

Roger stared at Maureen, completely stunned. He couldn't believe Maureen had hid this from him for so long. How she had, without going crazy herself, was beyond him.

"Oh my God, Mo," Roger snarled, suddenly furious. "How the hell could you keep something like that from me?" He glared at her as Benny and Cat came out of the bathroom. Apparently, Cat had calmed down. "Cat, did you know about this, too?" he demanded.

Cat nodded, looking at him, scared at seeing him like this. "She asked us to keep quiet about it. We had to respect her wishes, Roger," she said.

"What kind of person keeps something like that a secret?" Roger yelled, and he whirled around. Maureen and Cat flinched involuntarily. He was about to leave to go after Bridget, when something occurred to him. "What do you mean, she's leaving? Where's she going?"

"Her mom's sending her to some home for unwed mothers in New York City," Maureen said, her voice a little stronger now. "There's nothing we can do, Roger. Her mom's made up her mind. But her bus leaves in twenty minutes. If you hurry, maybe you can... say goodbye..."

Just as Maureen's voice quieted and choked off with sobs, Mr. Davis walked in, and Mrs. Davis came into the living room from her bedroom, dressed in her nightgown. She had obviously been sleeping.

"Roger, what's going on?" she asked, letting out a yawn. "You've been yelling for almost half an hour."

"Mom, Bridget's leaving," Roger said, as he looked at his mother with tears in his eyes.

Mrs. Davis looked surprised. "What?" she asked. "She is?" Roger nodded. "Why?"

"Because she's pregnant and her mom's sending her away to some home for unwed mothers," Roger sobbed. He looked up hesitantly and saw both his parents were stunned.

"Roger, how could you?" Mr. Davis asked him, his eyes flashing. "You knew the rules."

"I know, Dad," Roger said, crying into his hands. "But it was her eighteenth birthday. We were both eighteen, so we thought it was OK. I'm sorry if we broke a rule."

"He's got a point, Andy," Mrs. Davis said gently, although she looked disappointed. "They are both eighteen— were both eighteen— and this was their consensual choice." She looked up at her husband. "Obviously, it wasn't the best choice, but it was a choice, and now Roger has to make a choice as well." She looked over at Roger. "The bus leaves at eleven. It's ten-forty-five now. Are you going to go after her and see if you can talk to her and convince her to stay, albeit against her mother's orders? Or are you going to go and say goodbye and that you're sorry?"

"I'll do whatever I can to get her back, Mom," Roger said, and he turned around and went out the door, Maureen, Cat, Benny, Mark, and Mr. and Mrs. Davis right behind him.

* * *

Bridget sat down on the bench, waiting for the charter bus to show up. With her, she had most of what she owned. It was all in a suitcase, a backpack, and she had her pillow. She had enough money to sustain herself until she got to the home and got settled in. But she knew she had to get a job once the baby was born. As far as she could tell, college was no longer an option.

The bus pulled up, stopped, and its doors hissed open to let her on. She thought she heard someone yell her name. She paused, one foot on the step, and looked around, but saw no one.

As she started to climb onto the bus, she heard the voices again, but louder this time. The voices were definitely saying her name. She looked again and, this time, saw Roger, Maureen, Cat, Benny, Mark, and Roger's parents running down the sidewalk. Roger was running full-out, his long strides carrying him quickly toward her. Bridget paused again. She could see him clearly through the bus's back window now, still gaining on the stationary bus.

"Miss, are you coming or not?" the driver asked gruffly, holding out his hand for the fare. But Bridget ignored him for a moment. Roger was halfway down the block now and closing in fast.

Bridget turned and pulled money for the fare out of her pocket. She gave him an extra two dollars, but as she pressed it into his hand, she said firmly, "You wait a minute."

The driver could see she was serious, so he nodded. Bridget nodded as well and walked to the back of the bus. She set her bags in the seat next to her and sat down and the doors closed, just as Roger caught up with the bus.

"Miss, I have to go," the driver said, looking at her through his rear-view mirror. "It's eleven P.M. and I'm on a schedule."

Bridget looked out at Roger, who was pounding on the side of the bus and yelling at her. She could hear what he was saying.

"Baby, get off that bus!" Roger cried, pounding on the side of the bus. "Please, Baby, get off! I'm sorry! I know I fucked up, but I'll do anything, please, if you'll just come here! We can raise our baby together, Baby! Please, just get off! I promise, I'll take care of you!"

He was crying and screaming and yelling, as his heart was being torn in two. Bridget wrote something down on a piece of paper and she looked up as the driver put the bus into gear. "No, wait!" she said loudly, standing up as tears came to her eyes. "You said you'd wait!"

"I've waited almost ten minutes, Miss, you requested one," the driver said. "I can't wait any longer. I'm sorry."

And he began to drive off. Bridget went across the aisle and sat in an empty seat. Roger was running to keep up with the bus, tears in his eyes and falling down his face, as he tried in vain to keep up with the bus and get the driver to stop. Bridget's body shook with aching sobs, as she looked into Roger's distraught green eyes one last time. Roger stopped running and fell to his knees on the sidewalk, as Bridget held the note to the window for Roger to read. She saw a look of shock and horror come over his face as he read it.

_I promise I'll be back for you._

Maureen and Cat came over to Roger and pulled him, shaking, to his feet, as the bus turned a corner and was gone. He wouldn't look at them. His face was pressed in his hands and he was unable to speak through his tears.

"Come on, Roger," Maureen said, crying, "let's go home. I'm so sorry you didn't get to say goodbye for real. You did all you could."

"How could she just leave, Mo?" Roger cried into Maureen's arms. "I love her with every fiber in my being. How could she just leave?"

Maureen didn't know what to say. For the second time in her life, she was completely lost. "I'm sorry, Roger," she said quietly, tears streaming down her cheeks. She looked at Mr. Davis. "What can we do?" she asked him.

"There's nothing we can do," Mr. Davis said. "Bridget has made her choice. Now we have to go home and make ours."

"But I want to go after her, Dad!" Roger yelled. "She's paying for my mistake! I know she said she wanted to, but..." His legs wobbled and almost went out from under him, but Maureen, Cat, and Mark held him up and wouldn't let him go. "I love her so much, Dad," he cried, looking up at his father.

"I know you do, son," Mr. Davis said, taking Roger into his arms and he held him close.

The sequel will be up ASAP, ten years later, so keep an eye out for it. I know what I want to happen, but getting it down on paper or on the computer is proving to be really tough right now. I'll keep trying, though, I really will. Same thing with Deviant Beauty's sequel. Rosablasifann08, you know what I mean. Thank you to all who have reviewed. You know I love feedback. Reviews are my smack. Seriously, I need them to survive.

As always, don't forget to review.

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07


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